On August 21, as North America experiences its first total eclipse of the Sun in 38 years, astrobiologists are taking advantage of this rare celestial event to conduct experiments on life’s ability to survive hostile conditions. Dozens of balloons, outfitted with...

The first thing to realize is that the moon is in its ‘new’ phase, so whatever gravitational effects you might expect during a total solar eclipse also happen any time there is a New Moon, which happens every 28 days. Starting as an observer on the ground, you are...

In less than two weeks, millions of Americans will witness day turn to night as the moon blocks out the light from the sun, but there is more to the celestial spectacle than many think. While all attention will be on the sun and the moon, many people’s surroundings...

Project the Sun Never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection. You can seriously hurt your eyes and even go blind. Projecting the Sun in a box projector, with binoculars or a telescope, or using only 2 pieces of cardboard is a safe and easy way to see...